Man dies after killing 3 on US reservation

A man suspected of shooting dead three people and wounding three children, including his two daughters, has died from injuries after a police shootout at an Indian reservation in California.

Hector Celaya, 31, died on Sunday, several hours after he was wounded by gunfire with Tulare County deputies as he tried to flee in a vehicle.

Authorities caught him about six hours after deputies were called to a trailer on the Tule Indian Reservation on Saturday night. Inside, they found the bodies of a man and a woman; the body of another man was nearby.

Deputies also discovered a wounded young boy, whose condition and age were not known.

Officials said Celaya shot his two daughters, ages 5 and 8, who were found with him in the vehicle when he was apprehended. One girl had life-threatening injuries, while the other girl was less seriously hurt.

No motive for the attacks is immediately known.

The wounded boy is believed to be about 7, said Shelby Charley Jr, a supervisor with the Tule River Reservation Fire Department.

"This is one of those calls that will stick with you for the rest of your life," Charley said.

Medical help for the boy had been delayed by the winding roads in the reservation and thick fog which meant a medical helicopter couldn't assist.

Deputies found Celaya by tracking his mobile phone and pulled him over in a rural area outside the tiny community of Lindsay, about 32km from the reservation.